Day 35-40

October 4th, 2010: Dothan, AL to Tallahassee, FL

Today we left Dothan early and crossed the Chattonouche taking us out of AL and into Georgia. We followed HWY 84 from there to Bainbridge, GA where we ate lunch and turned onto HWY 27. We were surprised and delighted to see that Tallahassee was only 41 miles from here as it was only 12:30pm and we even lost an hour by changing into the Eastern Time Zone. The temperature stayed good and we made it to the Florida Border then Tallahassee now we are staying slightly outside of the city behind a government tower of some sorts as still no one knows what to do with tent campers.

October 5th, 2010: Tallahassee, FL to Chiefland, FL

Today we woke up at 6:30am and it was still dark because we are officially in Eastern Time. We had some hills for the first 10 miles out of Tallahassee then it was flat the whole way to our destination. We ended up riding a total of 116 miles today and still made it to Chiefland, Florida by 6:30 PM. Also kudos to Florida for bike lanes and sweet bike paths now we are camped in another sketchy place, you know the usual.

October 6th, 201: Chiefland, FL to Mimmeola, FL

Today we started our day by doing our last stop at Walmart to stock up on breakfast and dinner for the rest of the trip. We then left around 9:00am and rode a tiring 53 miles to Ocala, FL for lunch. After lunch the ride was fairly fast as we rode through small towns which seemed like an extension of Ocala. After this we finally crossed the turnpike and found an awesome camp spot called Bee’s RV where we got showers which is good because we smelled bad, and needed a good place to camp.

October 7th, 2010 Mimmeola, FL to Moore Haven, FL

Today started well as we were able to eat breakfast at a table and not on the ground. We then left our campsite and by 12:00pm had ridden about 47 miles through the start of orange fields and Florida’s natural orange juice factory. After lunch we somehow managed to ride to Moore haven by 7:00 pm bringing the total mileage for the day to be about 160 miles, so it was a long day but the hours seemed to pass by fast. Tonight we are even staying at another RV resort where we got a shower and had a table to cook at.

October 8th, 2010 Moore Haven, Fl to homestead FL

Today we rode about 120 miles most of which was through the everglades or sugar cane fields. It was a flat ride but a pretty one. We occasionally had bike lanes and most of the time we had a good shoulder. We are very excited because tonight is our last night on the road and tomorrow we reach Marathon, FL which should be a short ride compared to the last two days. Tonight we are sleeping behind the homestead First Baptist Church. All I have to say is thank the lord.

October 9th 2010: Homstead FL to Marathon FL

Today we left our camp spot early and met up with the Blyth’s, Alex’s Grandparents in homestead, where we shared a wonderful breakfast and loaded our gear up in the truck, so we could ride the last few miles without gear into Marathon, Fl. After breakfast we left homestead and took card sound road/ (Toll Free) to Key Largo. We then road down US HWY 1 to Marathon, FL enjoying the scenery and the on and off bike paths. When we arrived we found the house at Calle Ensenada and were ecstatic to be done.

Days 31-34

September 30th, 2010

Oxford, MS to Columbus, MS

Today we left our new friend Andy and his safe house behind. After re-charging we are ready for the road. By lunch we had reached Okolona, MS which was 50 miles from Oxford. We continued to make good time, reaching Columbus, MS with the sun still up. After a little searching we found a beautiful Campground called Dune Hayes Recreation area. Camping was cheap an the showers were included. Overall the weather was good and the terrain primarily flat with some hills. Also at this point we are now about 50 miles ahead of schedule and are excited to reach Alabama tomorrow.

October 1st 2010

Columbus, MS to Centerville, AL

So today it was really hard to get up, but somehow we managed and started our trek again. Within about 15 miles we entered Alabama, the last state standing between us and Florida. The morning was challenging though as the rolling hills continued and more people were honking their horns and yelling profanities at us. We made it to Tuscaloosa, AL where we had lunch and sought out another bike store to replace Matt’s back tire. By the time we managed to get back on the road it was close to 4:00 pm so we raced the sunset to Centerville, AL where we had our 2nd flat of the day right before pulling into town, stopped to fix it, noticed Matt’s saddle was broken, finished to ride in the dark, and are camping behind the Church of Christ. Hope he doesn’t mind.

October 2nd 2010

Centerville, AL to Troy AL

After a quick repair on Matt’s Broken seat (Socks and underwear stuffed underneath the Brooks leather) we left Centerville, AL early, went up and down hills through the honking and profanities to Montgomery, AL where we had lunch. From here we then rode to Troy, AL and went shopping at Wal-mart. We went to a nice campground and the host told us they had nice showers, but no tent campers allowed, so we are camped on the hill behind Wal-Mart. Kind of a shady spot but it is what is it.

October 3rd 2010

Troy, Al to Dothan, AL

Today was a short day, but came at a needed time. The ride was fairly easy and we had a big lunch. Also the temperature seems to be rising again and the humidity is worsening. Tonight we will rest up before we make the week-long trek down through Florida and into the Keys. Only 7 days left to go!

Days 24-30

Sep 23, 2010:

Florence, KS to Freedonia, KS

Today we got started and immediately rode into headwinds then spent the first 37 miles of the ride in 35 MPH headwinds. Following this we ate lunch in El Dorado and finally turned out of the winds by taking HWY 400 east. Then it was another 61 miles to our destination of Freedonia, KS where we were able to camp in another park and actually take free showers.

Sep. 24th, 2010:

Freedonia, KS to Outside Joplin, MO

Today we rode a good ways! The day started out easy enough then we had two flat tires. We had lunch in Parsons, KS and shortly after lunch Alex crashed to the ground while trying to swat away the onslaught of grasshopers. He was okay so we continued on, only to get another flat seven miles from Joplin, MO. After entering Joplin, MO the siun immediately set and we became lost trying to find the KOA. Ultimately we reached the KOA at 9:00 P.M.. We got showers, did laundry, dried the tent fly from the previous night, and finally ate dinner at 11:00. A tough day.

Sep. 25th, 2010:

Joplin, MO to Shell Knob, MO

Today we got a later start as we needed to find directions to our destination. Nevertheless, we got on the road and rode through a lot of small places with constant hills. Then it seems that people in MO actually hate cyclists - we have had more people yelling curses at us or giving us the bird than anywhere else we’ve ridden on this trip or previous ones. After reaching our destination for the day, we found out there was nowhere we were allowed to camp. We picked a place totally not private and kind of sketchy. Anyway it all turned out well, nobody bothered us and we didnt have to deal with the sheriff at two in the morning.

September 26th, 2010

Shell Knob, MO to Marshall, AR

Today we rode out of MO and into Arkansas the day was mainly spent going up and down hills on roads that had minimal shoulders, and were fairly busy. We made it safe and no one cursed at us or threw anything. Then towards the end of the day Matt saw a deer get hit by a car and was astonished by the scene. Tonight we are staying in a city park with no showers which is sad, but at least the camping is free!

September 27th, 2010

Marshall AR to Beebe, AR

Today we finally realized that we were crossing through the ozarks and completed a few 2,000 foot climbs in elevation to go along with it. The milage was a bit shorter. We went through some interesting forests and towns. Tonight we reached our destination by 5:30 pm.. but there again was nowhere we could  legitimately camp so we found the city park and waited til dark and for all the kids to leave to pitch our tent. Another sketchy spot but it will have to do. Oh yeah, we had two more flats today and one yesterday.

September 28th, 2010 Beebe, AR to West Helena

Today we rode a good ways almost to the end of Arkansas. The ride was primarily flat but we were still on the bikes untill about 7:00 pm.  We had two flat tires today so we’re now down to two spares and hope we find a bike store in MS tomorrow. The weather was good, hot but not as bad as it has been in the past. Tonight we’re even staying in a place we’re allowed to camp , our 5th day in a row with water spigot showers and had some Old Rasputin Imperial Stout to top it off.

September 29th 2010 West Helena to Oxford MS

Today we crossed the AR/ MS border and the muddy water of the Mississippi. We rode south on Hwy 315 to Sardis, where we had lunch. After lunch we had another flat tire but fixed it and got back on the road. We rode by the Sardis lake and campgrounds and continued on to Oxford, MS, home of Mississippi University and the Oxford Bicycling Company where we stocked up on tubes, got a new back tire for Alex, and met a guy named Andy who invited us to stay at his place. Finally some southern hospitality!

Days 18-23

Sep. 17th, 2010:

Cherry CK, S.P., Denver, CO to Colorado Springs, CO

Today we left the C.G. at Cherry CK S.P. after fixing yet another flat tire. We then headed down Hwy 83 all the way out of Denver, CO which was a pretty busy Hwy. We had a fairly easy day through here and reached Colorado Springs, CO early. This gave us some time to go to the bank and Walmart. As we were continuing down the road heading out of town we met a man named Ryan who offered to let us stay in his empty rental, which was very generous and humbling. Nice guy! Great day!

Sep. 18th, 2010:

Colorado Springs, CO to Kit Carson, CO

Today we hit the road early and were immediately faced with the worst road hazards yet, shattered glass everywhere for about the first five miles. Matt got a flat tire and we were able to use the new pump, which works awesome. After this the ride was fairly easy. We had a slight headwind of about 15 MPH. The day was very long though - about 115 miles and 12 hours on the bikes/road. But we enjoyed the scenery and rolling hills. We topped the day off with a cheap but full dinner at a mom and pop store and are now camping for free in the city park.

Sep. 19th, 2010:

Kit Carson, CO to Tribune, KS

Today we left Kit Carson, CO and headed south to Eads, CO which isn’t much larger than Kit Carson but at least it had a gas station open on a Sunday. From here we headed down Hwy 96 and shortly reached the Kansas/Colorado border. At this point the wind also started to gust at about 15-25 MPH. Tonight we are staying in the local park and were able to use the water spigot to get in a much needed shower. So it was a good day and we are excited to be in Kansas.

Sep. 20th, 2010:

Tribune, KS to Ness City, KS

Today we started early as we lost an hour by moving into central time zone, but we got going and quickly made our way through the 35 MPH winds and over 40 MPH gusts to Dighton, KS where we had lunch. We met three cyclists there who were traveling west from chicago and were not enjoying the SSW winds as much as us, but were nice and happy to share stories. We finished out the 100 mile day in Ness City, KS with a shower by hose and camping at the city park. Good Day!

Sep. 21st, 2010

Ness City, KS to Lyons, KS

Today we left Ness City and rode to Great Bend, KS where we had lunch. On the way we had three flat tires but figued it was helpful as we had to adjust our chain tension anyway. While in Great Bend, KS we were able to pick up more tubes as we wererunning low again. We then continued on our journey to Lyons, KS, our destination for the night. Here we found a free RV/ campground with free showers, our first since Colorado Springs. That felt very nice. It was a good day, but we are tired. And the long days are catching up with us.

Sep 22nd, 2010

Sep. 22nd, 2010: Lyons, KS to Florence , KS

So today we got started and the morale was a little low. It seems that the humiduty is affecting our sleep, it is just way too hot, all the time. But besides that we got on the road and made it to Hillsboro (about 52 miles) where we had lunch. From here we continued on but shortly made a left turn straight into a south winds blowing at us about 30 mph. We decided to camp in Florence KS and the locals directed us to a city park after okaying it with a city council member. Here we enjoyed the freash spring water, showered under the water spigot, and even had a bathroom to use in the morning.

Days 13-17

Sep. 12th, 2010:

Jensen, UT to Craig, CO

Today we had a sour start as both of the valve stem extenders that we had bought and were now using broke. Then as we crossed the Utah/Colorado border we found out that instead of only having the planned 47 miles left we really had 90 miles which was definitely demoralizing. Yet as the day wore on our spirits lifted and another flat tire didn’t phase us. The desert soon turned into rolling hills, we met an enthusiastic cyclist named Mel, and reach our destination as the sun was setting. So today we put another 110 miles under our belts and basked in the glory of the opportunity that we had to prove that it could be done fixed gear style.

Sep. 13th, 2010:

Craig, CO to Outside Kremmling, CO

Today we rode from Craig, CO and for the morning had a moderate head wind. We reached Steamboat  Springs, CO around 2:00 P.M.. After yet another flat tire we were able to eat lunch and restock on tubes with the correct valve stem length. Following this we crossed rabbit ears pass and muddy pass. The first was over 9,000 ft in elevation and the second was over 8,000 ft, both along the continental divide. After this we
realized we had gone slightly too far as there was no more national forest only private property, so tonight we are sleeping right off the road behind dirt mounds that hide us pretty well.

Sep. 14th, 2010:

Outside Kremmling, CO to Fraser, CO

Today we left our campsite behind the dirt and quickly found our way into Kremmling, CO where we were able to buy food for lunch and use the restrooms. From here it was a fairly easy ride to Granby, CO where we ate our lunch and continued the easy ride to Winterpark, CO where we had planned to camp for the night. However when we reached the campground it was closed for the season so we back-tracked and ended up meeting a man who offered to let us stay at his home, which we accepted. Tonight we are staying with Blair and his wife Rachel with much gratitude as other campspots in the area were non-existent. Tomorrow we will reach Denver, CO and leave the continental divide behind us for good.

Sep. 15th, 2010:

Fraser, CO to Denver, CO

Today was a great day. First we woke up early and watched the sun rise as we climbed up Berthoud pass with an elevation of 11,300 ft.  We made our descent out of the continental divide and we were able to follow bike paths or frontage roads most of the way to Denver, CO.  We rode past the Coors brewery, and are staying with Brady (the son of the people we met and stayed with in Fraser, CO). We went to the El Camino for dinner which is on 32nd and we would recommend to anyone. Overall it was a great day and we feel blessed to have met the people we did.

Sep. 16th, 2010:

Denver, CO to Cherry Creek S.P. Denver, CO

Today we tried to sleep in but could not sleep past 7:00 am, so we packed our bags and waved goodbye to Brady’s house as we navigated our way through Denver to the REI Flag Ship. Here we got more tubes and a more user-friendly bike pump. We then followed scenic Cherry Creek bike path all the way to Cherry Creek State Park. We set up our tent, removed our gear, and set out in search of food for the next couple of days. The rest of our day was spent peacefully doing nothing. Great rest day.

Days 10-12

Sep. 9th, 2010:

Delta, UT to Spanish Fork, UT

Today we left Delta, UT at about 7:30 A.M. and rode down East Hwy 6 up gradual inclines for about the first 51 Miles. We then stopped for lunch in the eerie town of Eureka, UT. From here we were able to quickly ride into the greater Provo are where we used the ATM and continued to ride into Spanish Fork, UT. Here we found a cheap RV park to camp at that was provided by the city. We also found an apple tree and picked apples for breakfast and lunch.

Sep. 10th, 2010:

Spanish Fork, UT to Duchesne, UT

Today we rode from Spanish Fork, UT to about ten miles outside of Price, UT on Hwy 6 which would have been very scenic if we were riding in a car but on a bicycle it was scary due to the insane amount of traffic, no shoulder, and massive rumble strips. As a person could imagine we were very glad when we were able to turn of on Hwy 191. Hwy 191 was a great ride with lots of different scenery, a summit with an elevation of 9124 ft, and a long downhill all the way to Duchesne, UT. We then stayed the night at Hogan’s RV for ten dollars and quarter showers. The tenants (mainly our next door neighbor) are very nice and gave us some delicious watermelon to have with dinner.

Sep. 11th, 2010:

Duchesne, UT to Jensen, UT

Today we woke up and got a great start. We made it to Vernal, UT by 1:30 P.M. and went to the Golden Corral all you can eat buffet for lunch.  We stopped by Attitude Cycling to buy some helmets after the daunting day of riding down Hwy 6 on the 10th. The employees at this shop were really excited about the fact that we were touring on fixed gears and asked us to leave our mark on their bathroom wall after we left other marks in the toilet. Ten miles later we reached Jensen, UT and an RV park with good/cheap camping, but then we noticed that this place was goat head hell and all four of our tubes were flat. Then we found out that the extenders we bought for the tubes that go in our rear wheels didn’t fit. We asked around the RV park and  found a neighbor who let us borrow a drill and a different one who had a drill bit. With these supplies we remedied the situation, The tubes work, and overall it wasn’t a bad day.

Days 4-9

Sep. 3rd, 2010:

Crystal Springs, CA to Fallon, NV
Today we had a long downhill all the way to Carson City, NV. We found two bike shops but neither of them carried fixed gear cogs. At Bike Habitat the owner was very rude, but at the Bike Smithe the attendant was kind even though his shop lacked the equipment we needed. We continued on from Carson City at about 11:30am after picking upsome hearty sandwiches from Wally World (Walmart), which we were unable to finish due to the heat. The rest of the day was plagued by 100 degree heat, constant sun, and two flat tires.
Despite our troubles, we made it to Fallon, NV where we were able to take warm showers and drink cold Fat Tires to top off the day.

Sep. 4th, 2010:

Fallon, NV to Austin, NV
Today started really well. we left Fallon, NV early and managed to ride the first 40 miles to Middlegate, NV pretty quickly. However, after this things took a turn.  Alex popped three tubes and we ran out of spares so we had to start patching tubes. Then we rode uphill for about 16 miles (which was fairly tough), and we were starting worry about the gear ratios that we have. After about 96 miles and 20 still left to go, with the sun setting, we managed to flag down a truck which gave us a ride to our final destination. Also we
met Roy, another cyclist heading in the same direction as us for now. It was nice to have some new company.


Sep. 5th, 2010:

Austin, NV to Eureka, NV
Today we left Austin, NV early and immediately started climbing. The first summit we reached was about 7400 ft. After this we rode downhill for about four miles then hit our second summit which was slightly lower. The overall mileage for the day was about 70 miles, all of which was desert with no services. We were able to buy food in Eureka, NV and reached camp fairly early which was good as it gave our bodies a break.

Sep. 6th, 2010:

Eureka, NV to Ely, NV
Today we rode about 77 miles and are nearing the end of our days in Nevada which is fantastic news as far as we are concerned. The scenery here appears to be unchanging, Just one big continuous desert with summits and then valleys all full of sage brush. Today we rode over four summits ranging from 6500 ft in elevation to 7500 ft. In order from west to east they were: Pinto, Pancake, Little Antelope, and Robinson. When we reached Ely, NV we were able to re-stock on bike tubes as we had 0 without holes in them. We
are staying at the KOA two miles east of Ely which was a little more expensive but the only place for camping and we were able to split the cost of our tent site with Roy the other cyclist that we have been intermittently traveling with. Overall it was a good day.

Sep. 7th, 2010:

Ely, NV to Baker, NV

Today we rode around 57 miles with only two summits, though the second summit (Sacramento summit) was pretty difficult. After this summit it was a short jaunt downhill to Baker, NV. Today we also saw the first clouds that we have seen since we started the trip which provided a us with a little shade. Also we met three young men from the UK who were on the last leg of their trip, and a German cyclist and a cyclist from Santa
Rosa, Ca who caught up with us on Sacramento summit. All of them were nice people with interesting stories.

Sep. 8th, 2010:

Baker, NV to Delta, UT
Today we started early, waking up at 4:30 A.M. and leaving our camp site by 6:00 A.M.. We first rode about 12 miles to the Nevada-Utah border, then about 20 more before we hit our first summit at an elevation of 6200 ft. After this we continued riding, reaching a total of 100 miles and finishing the last 44 miles in about 2.5 hours thanks to a 25-30 MPH tailwind. We reached our destination of Delta, UT at 2:30 P.M. pacific time or 3:30 P.M. Mountain time. We followed our ride up with a good Mexican food dinner and even
had enough time to get supplies for lunch tomorrow and do a little laundry (which was needed after nine days). All in all it was another good day!